Originally Posted by
DustoffVT
We just got an email yesterday that all DHS employees now have access to Coast Guard Exchange, tax free. The shopping I’m fine with, but I do think the tax free benefit should be reserved to vets. Theoretically, someone with a dishonorable discharge could now be shopping tax free if they work at DHS.
Yeah, agreed about the tax benefits. I understand why they did it. I'm an ex-Coastie myself and I remember the CGX exchanges being completely empty the majority of the time I went to one because Coast Guard exchanges tend to be in random cities/towns without much of a military presence besides the CG, like North Bend, Oregon and Portland, Maine. I always wondered how the CGX's stayed in business. Not sure there are a lot of DHS civilian employees in these places but anything helps I guess.
I figure any day now DOD/DHS civilians will be eligible for Tricare Prime (or some new version, like "Tricare Civilian Select") and VA benefits are not long after that for civilians injured in the workplace.